Friday, April 08, 2016

Niger Delta: 33 finalists emerge @ GEMS 2016

About 33 finalists have emerged in the 2016
Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) programme being organized
by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), reports ITRealms.

The Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta
Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari made this disclosure at a
ceremony in Port Harcourt.

She also said that the 33 finalists all
emerged from SSS1 and SSS2, who are beginning to see the practicality of
science, even at that young age, and it becomes a foundation upon which they
and other children of the Niger Delta, as well as the schools in the region,
will build collective future.

The school that produces the first prize
winner, she said, will get a chemistry laboratory, while the second and third
schools will get a physics and biology laboratory, respectively.

“We are also going to reward the girls with
prizes, such as laptops,” she said.

Further, she said, these finalists were
selected from a rigorous elimination process that began with 2880 girls from
the nine NDDC mandate states.

“From this first screening test 1110 girls
were selected. From the 1110, 270 were selected at 30 girls per state. They
progressed to the state finals, where 11 girls qualified from each state,
leading to the regional finals, where 11 girls were selected from each of the
three regions. Of the 33 who will participate in the grand finale, 10 would be
selected for recognition, while the top five will receive awards, prizes and
scholarships,” she said.

In initiating GEMS, she said, they are
igniting a spark within these young, remarkable women, as well as in society,
which we expect to build into a fire that will lead to great things.

“It is good for our society, and good for the
Niger Delta region. It is good for our collective future,” shd said, and called on other well-meaning organisations
across the Niger Delta, especially oil and gas companies, to partner with NDDC
on the GEMS programme, so that it becomes a worthy and engaging incubator for
breeding young ladies who will grow up to conquer the world in various
STEM-related careers.